TELEGRAM TO THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS FROM THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED NATIONS DIVISION

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The Deputy Director of the United Nations Division sends a report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding his observation and view on the Ministrial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of Non-Aligned Countries on New Delhi.

"Telegram to the Minister of Foreign Affairs from the Deputy Director of the United Nations Division," April 10, 1977, History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive, Roll 2007-25, File 7, Frame 73-77, South Korean Foreign Ministry Archive. http://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/118384

Regarding the Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of Non-Aligned Countries in New Delhi, the United Nations Division has frequently reported through open either regular telegram or personal one. With the plenary meeting approaching on April 11, the deputy director of the United Nations Division would like to report what he has observed and felt for the Foreign Minister’s information as follows:

India who hosts this meeting is observed to have pro-Korean attitude because of the following points:

a. When she was drafting the Korean matter in the joint declaration of the meeting, India could have quoted the same draft that had been adopted at the 5th Conference of Non-Aligned Heads of State in Colombo last year; however, India presented its draft which India corrected through prior consultation with Sri Lanka because India’s draft was originally presented by Sri Lanka, but failed to be adopted.

b. Right before the Korean matter was about to be discussed at the Political Committee, Ri Jong-mok, vice foreign minister of the North Korean puppets visited Vellodi, vice Foreign Minister of India to express his dissatisfaction with India’s first draft and suggested a long first draft prepared by the North Korean puppets. However, the Indian Vice Foreign Minister rejected North Korea’s first draft.

c. When Algeria asked India’s view on the Korean matter at the request of the North Korean puppets, India informed Algeria the same position it had expressed to the North Korean puppets.

d. When Algeria orally suggested a correction at the Political Committee, India also suggested a slight correction on Algeria’s proposal even though her suggestion was not accepted.

e. Regarding the seating arrangement for the opening ceremony, India provided country name tags for those members of the Coordinating Bureau, but did not provide them for the representatives of observer states and other guests (including our ambassador). Its reason was later known, by the representatives of various countries attending the ceremony, that there had been a rumor circulated that North Korean puppets were dissatisfied with the invitation of the Korean ambassador and would have walked out.

f. Despite their very tight schedule as organizers of the conference, Metha, permanent vice-minister, and Vellodi, vice foreign minister of India, met with Ambassador Lee at his urgent request. In particular, Vellodi, vice foreign minister telephoned him to inform him as frequently as possible the discussions involving the Korean matter.

The following will be reported later by telegram after ciphering.

2. Analysis of the Attitude of the North Korean Puppets towards the New Delhi Meeting

It is certain that the North Korean puppet regime would like to add its peace offensive of so-called inter-Korean politics negotiation, which North Korea has been offering since the beginning of the year, to the joint declaration of the New Delhi meeting, along with its old claims. However, the North Korean puppets do not seem to have consulted it with countries sympathetic to them and come to a spontaneous decision to advance it on the spot. This analysis was made based on the following:

a. The North Korean puppets could have contacted India long before the meeting. However, North Korea did not contact India, host of the meeting, until the Korean matter was about to be discussed at the Political Committee. As India negatively responded to the North Korean puppets, they asked Algeria three times to propose their version of the draft.

b. Ri Jong-mok of North Korea arrived at New Delhi earlier before other delegations of the coordinating committee; thus, he had sufficient time to consult with the representatives of countries sympathetic to them prior to the meeting. Yet, he did not begin the consultation until the Korean matter was about to be discussed at the Politics Committee. (This fact is a reflection of how the diplomatic efforts of the North Korean puppets prove to be counter-productive.)

c. The North Korean puppet regime had the keynote address scheduled to coincide with the Political Committee's discussions on the Korean matter. (The United Nations Division adroitly obtained a copy of Ri Jong-mok’s address draft, which had apparently been telegrammed from Pyongyang. There are a few points that should be placed under further consideration.)

d. There does not seems to have been frequent contact between the North Korean puppets and the delegations of countries sympathetic to them, either at the hotel lobby or the Political Committee. (The delegation of the North Korean puppets stayed at a different hotel from where delegates of the coordinating committee stayed.)

e. The North Korean puppets expressed dissatisfaction when Algeria’s separate correction was adopted at the Political Committee, because Algeria did not respond to North Korea’s request at the committee and suggested a separate correction, which was similar to the politics declaration and the resolution, both of which had been adopted in Colombo last year.

3. Attitude of the related countries toward South and North Koreas

a. It seems that there are no general changes in the attitude of the 25 countries of the coordinating bureau toward South and North Koreas, compared to the last conference in Colombo last year.

b. As reported above, Algeria, Yugoslavia, and Cuba, countries that have traditionally been sympathetic towards the North Korean puppets, refrained from supporting the North Korean puppets on the Korean matter more than they did at the last conference in held in Colombia and was reluctant to include the North Korean puppets' proposal calling for the so-called North-South political negotiation in the first draft of the committee. This possibly seems to indicate the emergence of a new facet in the relations between the North Korean puppets and its traditional supporters.

c. The countries that had opposed North Korea’s stance at the conference in Colombia last year declared that they maintained the same stance on the Korean issues, considering the character of the ministerial meeting of the coordinating bureau itself; nevertheless, they made an excuse of Non-Aligned meeting on the Korean matter, and hesitated to be publicly against North Korea’s position and to show active support for our stance. In particular, it attracted attention that ambassadors of India, Zaire, and Bangladesh took an understanding attitude toward Korea’s stand. Peru’s air of indifference was beyond North Korea’s expectation, under circumstances without Silva (assumed), Peru Ambassador’s presence.

4. Comprehensive Analysis on the Ministerial Meeting

a. When the Korean matter was discussed at this New Delhi meeting, we could not obtain much objection to North Korean puppets' claims and gain strong support for our position. However, we make particular note of the fact that North Korea’s attempts at the meeting were discouraged by its countries traditionally sympathetic to them. This is a good point of reference for our future actions in the United Nations.

b. It is difficult to completely figure out North Korean puppets' stance targeting for the next United Nations General Assembly only by this New Delhi meeting. Yet, North Korean puppets' real intention was verified at the meeting that they wanted to use its so-called North-South political negotiation as its peace offensive and, at the same time, use the negotiation as its counterattack on our peaceful stance which urges the resumption of South-North dialogues. By doing so, the North Korean puppets intend to frustrate our supporters and other third forces who endorse the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue. Such attitude was actually proven at this conference. From this, it is possible to at least partly predict what the North Korean puppets will attempt to gain at the United Nations General Assembly this year.

c. The New Delhi meeting is the first international conference this year to discuss the Korean matter. Accordingly, Ri Jong-mok’s speech is a useful point of reference for understanding North Korea’s future attitude towards the United States and its position at the United Nations General Assembly regarding the Korean matter, and foreign relations in the near future.

d. There was much difficulty in contacting the delegations of other countries and obtaining relevant information in New Delhi. Nonetheless, Ambassador Lee’s close friendship with officials in the Indian Foreign Ministry as well as Counselor Lee Hyun-Hong’s visit to India enabled us to operate from a more advantageous position during the Colombo Conference. More details will be separately reported upon return.

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The Deputy Director of the United Nations Division sends a report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding his observation and view on the Ministrial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of Non-Aligned Countries on New Delhi.

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